Pain is a common problem among people with cancer. About 30 to 40% of people will have pain when they are diagnosed or undergoing cancer treatment. This percentage is often higher for people with advanced cancer. Pain is one of a cancer patient's greatest fears. Pain is often easily relieved with simple methods.
Pain can be described as an unpleasant sensation or a feeling that happens when tissues in the body are damaged. But pain is most often defined as whatever the person says hurts. Each person feels or experiences pain differently. Pain can be treated according to their specific needs.
Types
Pain may be acute or chronic:
- Acute pain is severe, and lasts a relatively short time. It is usually a signal that body tissue is being injured in some way – for example, by a cut or a burn. The pain usually disappears when the injury heals. For example, cancer surgery may cause acute pain.
- Chronic pain (also known as persistent pain) may range from mild to severe, and it can come and go or last for many months or years. With effective pain relief, people can continue their lives in comfort even though they have chronic pain. For example, nerve damage that may result from some cancer treatments may cause chronic pain.
Causes
There can be many reasons why people with cancer feel pain:
- Cancer cells (tumours) that grow and damage parts of the body can cause pain. This is the most common cause of pain in many people with cancer.
- A tumour growing within a bone or muscle crowds out healthy cells nearby, and may cause pain.
- There may be pain if a tumour is growing against or inside an organ, such as the liver.
- Pain can also be caused by a tumour pressing on and damaging a nerve.
- Some cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or biological therapies may cause pain.
- Having some invasive diagnostic tests or procedures can be painful.
- Nerves near the area of body being treated can be damaged and result in pain.
- Other health conditions such as arthritis can cause pain.
Fatigue and some emotions such as sadness or anxiety may increase the feeling of pain and decrease the person's ability to cope with or tolerate pain.
A person with cancer may worry that a new ache or pain means that the cancer is getting worse or has spread. Being in pain does not always mean that cancer is advanced or more serious. Having pain does not mean that the cancer treatment isn’t working.
Assessing pain
Assessing or understanding pain is an important step to treating it effectively. The healthcare team will try to find the cause of pain and ask the person to describe where, when and how the pain feels. This will help the healthcare team take the right steps to help relieve the pain.
Managing pain
Living with cancer and being treated for it doesn’t have to mean living with pain. Pain may be managed using one or more methods:
- medications such as opioids and other types of medications that help control certain types of pain and may be used by themselves or along with opioids (adjuvant drugs)
- cancer treatments to reduce or control tumour growth
- other techniques such as massage or relaxation
Most cancer pain can be well-managed using pain-relieving medications or other methods.
Issues about pain
A person may have concerns about taking medications to control pain. Some people believe that in order to live with dignity they must face their disease and bear the pain. Or they may be concerned how pain medicines might affect their body or personality. Some people may worry that medications won’t work when they really need them, especially if they are used early in treatment.
It is important to talk to the healthcare team about any concerns you may have about pain and its control. You don’t have to face pain alone. Treating your pain is an important part of your whole cancer treatment.